Zulu

British officers (Stanley Baker and Michael Caine) lead the defense of a small fort against an overwhelming number of Zulu warriors.

Zulu is a well-done adventure film that’s perhaps most notable for launching fifth-billed Michael Caine into stardom.

The first act is a bit rough. Initially we follow a preacher, played by Jack Hawkins, and his daughter, played by Ulla Jacobsson as they try and evacuate the wounded from a small British outpost before the Zulu’s can attack. The problem is that Jacobsson hams up all of her scenes, and the usually steady Hawkins is close behind. While you can see where director Cy Endfield was going with this—namely, to illustrate the calmness and professionalism of the British soldiers—it’s a lazy device that only serves to make the audience cheer when Hawkins and Jacobsson finally do depart.

Right about that point is when Zulu really takes off.

Featuring some thrilling, yet authentic, battle scenes all set in scenic South African locales; the film rises to become one of the great adventure films of all time. While some may compare it to a traditional western, with the Zulu’s playing the part of the Indians, that’s not entirely accurate. Most westerns portrayed Indians as bloodthirsty savages, yet the Zulu’s come across as much more like a professional army. Indeed, while you care about the British soldiers, you’re not rooting for them because they’re British, but rather, simply because they’re such an underdog. This sentiment is hammered home at the battle’s conclusion by the Zulu’s themselves.

Ultimately, for fans of either adventure films, Zulu is a must-see. Ditto that for fans of Caine, who’s fantastic through it all, delivering the sort of nuanced, subdued-yet-charismatic performance that would become his trademark in the years to come.